Government tables 20th amendment in parliament

In order to give legal cover to the elections of 28 legislators of the national and provincial assemblies who were elected in by-polls held after passage of 18th Amendment of the Constitution, the government tabled the 20th Constitutional Amendment bill in the National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament.

Syed Khurshid Shah, the Minister for Religious Affairs, tabled the bill that proposes amendments in Article 219 of the Constitution.

The bill reads, “In judgment of the Supreme Court dated April 25, 2011 in the constitution petition No 32/2009, a direction was given to the federation for constitution of an election commission in accordance with the amended provisions of the constitution and certain observations were also made in the course of hearing of the petition, particularly with reference to by-elections which had been conducted by the chief election commissioner in the interregnum. In order to give legal cover it has become necessary to amend the constitution for the said purpose.”

Later, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, the bill proposed by advisor to the Prime Minister on Human Rights, seeking establishment of a national commission for women, failed to pass after the PML-N opposed the draft.

In the later move, the Speaker and members from the treasury benches decided to defer the voting to develop consensus on the draft.

PML-N MNA Raja Asad while speaking on the occasion said that Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani had allocated large amounts in developmental funds for NA-148 from where his son, Ali Musa Gilani was holding elections on the seat vacated by Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the currently vice chairman of PTI.

Naseem Chaudhry, another MNA of PPP refuted charges of Raja Asad, clarifying that no extraordinary developmental funds were being allocated for the NA_148. Former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had not done any developmental works for the area, she added.

Qadir Patel, another PPP MNA on point of order asked the chairman to form a House Committee to probe the reports about a new airline namely, Indus Airline. In his view, some key leaders of the PPP allegedly involved in the project.